This is a time in the U.S. when we are most in need of increasing our knowledge of how to improve brain health throughout the last decades of life and prevent or cure age-related neurodegenerative diseases. This program increases the expertise in the pipeline through focused pre- and postdoctoral research training on the neuroscience of aging. We do so with a multidisciplinary focus. Trainees coming from this program will not only have their specific research expertise to carry forward but will also have the ability to understand the scientific literature and interact with neuroscientists who do research on brain aging be it at the molecular, cellular, whole animal or human disease levels of analysis. This training grant serves as the focus for those pre- and postdoctoral trainees at OHSU who want to concentrate on the neuroscience of aging. The program is embedded in the very strong research environment on aging at OHSU. The major activities of the program include coursework, a focused journal club, translational research rotations, a retreat and in depth research training within mentors' laboratories. This program serves as the sole focused training program and funding mechanism for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to concentrate on the neuroscience of aging. Thus, this program plays an important role at OHSU and is not duplicative with any other training program. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: By the year 2030 over 20% of the U.S. population is expected to be over the age of 65. While huge strides have been made to increase longevity, maintaining brain health and preventing age-related neurodegenerative diseases is now critical. This proposal seeks to train the next generation of scientists who will develop methods to maintain brain health through the later decades of life.